The present invention relates to seat suspension systems and more particularly to an improved seat suspension system having a mechanism for adjusting the vertical elevation and tilt of the seat.
It is known to provide seat suspension systems which dampen vertical seat movement in response to vehicle motion. It is also known and common to provide a fixed amount of vertical resiliency.
In off-road vehicles such as lawn and garden tractors, one conventional seat suspension systems consists of two vertically arranged springs between the seat and tractor body for cushioning the force transmitted to an operator sitting in the seat.
Operators of different heights or weights may desire vertical adjustment of the seat for comfortable riding. Some prior seat suspension systems are not adjustable or require tool adjustment of the seat height to accomplish this adjustment.
The present inventor has recognized it would be desirable to provide a seat suspension system that was vertically adjustable with little or no need for tool adjustment.
The present inventor has recognized that it would be desirable to provide an elastomer bumper that supports a portion of a seat, the elastomer bumper being adjustable in effective length by a simple manipulation without the necessity of tool adjustment.
The invention provides a seat assembly for an off-road vehicle, wherein the height and/or angle of tilt of a driver""s seat can be easily adjusted by the provision of at least a first elastomer bumper.
According to one exemplary embodiment of the invention, the seat assembly includes a seat having a bottom surface, and a resilient seat suspension supporting the seat. The seat is supported at least in part by the first bumper element carried by the seat suspension. The first bumper element includes a protruding portion interposed between the seat bottom surface and the seat suspension, the protruding portion supporting a portion of the seat from the seat suspension. The seat suspension and the first bumper element are arranged to adjust a length of the protruding portion.
The length of the protruding portion can be adjusted to set an elevation of the seat at the point of support by the first bumper element. The seat can also be adjustably connected to another part of the resilient seat suspension by use of a seat bracket with selectable holes to register with holes provided on the resilient seat suspension.
The seat suspension can comprises an upper support plate. The upper support plate comprises a first elongated opening having a wide region and a narrow region, and the first bumper element comprises one or more grooves spaced apart along a length of the bumper element. The narrow region is shaped to receive the first bumper element therein with a select one of the grooves receiving portions of the upper support plate therein to fix the first bumper element to the upper support plate.
The seat assembly can comprise a second bumper element identical to the first bumper element, and the upper support plate can comprise a second elongated opening identical to the first elongated opening. The first and second bumper elements can be arranged laterally spaced apart and fixed to the upper support plate.
The seat suspension can include a baseplate and two springs arranged between the baseplate and the upper support plate. A front pair of links can be pivotally connected to the baseplate at a front end thereof and pivotally connected at a rear end thereof to the upper support plate. A rear pair of links can be pivotally connected at a front end thereof to the baseplate and at a rear end thereof to the upper support plate.
The first and second bumper elements can each comprise a cylinder having one annular groove or plural spaced apart annular grooves, and the upper support plate can comprise elongated openings each having a first region sized to allow entrance of the cylinder vertically therethrough, and a second region open to the first region and having a width that prevents vertical entrance of the cylinder through the second region. The second region is of a width that accepts a width of the cylinder taken through the selected annular groove, to allow lateral sliding movement of the cylinder into the second region with wall portions of the upper support plate adjacent opposite sides of the second region entering a select one of the grooves. The width of the cylinder taken through the annular groove can be slightly greater than the width of the second region but can be resiliently compressed to fit within the second region to lock the cylinder to the upper support plate.